2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Portland
A locational surname originating from the port city of Portland, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Portland. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Portland surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Portland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Portland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Portland
The surname Portland is believed to have originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "port" and "land," referring to a coastal region or settlement. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 11th century, where it appeared in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Portland was Sir John Portland, who lived in the 13th century and served as a knight during the reign of King Edward I. The Portland family was known to hold lands in Dorset, a county in the southwest of England, where the name is thought to have originated from the town of Portland.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1332, which listed a Richard de Portland. During this period, the spelling varied, with variations like "Portlond" and "Portlande" appearing in historical documents.
The Portland surname gained prominence in the 16th century, with individuals like Sir William Portland (1499-1573), who served as a Member of Parliament and held influential positions in the court of King Henry VIII. Another notable figure was Sir Richard Portland (1560-1644), who was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight by King James I.
In the 17th century, the name became associated with the Duke of Portland, a title first granted to Richard Weston (1577-1635) in 1633. The Dukedom of Portland has been held by several members of the Bentinck family, with prominent individuals such as William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709), who served as a statesman under King William III and Queen Anne.
Throughout history, the Portland surname has been carried by various notable figures, including:
1. Ralph Portland (1281-1352), an English landowner and military commander during the Hundred Years' War.
2. Thomas Portland (1515-1584), an English politician and member of the Privy Council during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
3. Robert Portland (1630-1698), an English playwright and author known for his works on history and politics.
4. William Portland (1675-1743), an English architect and designer of several notable buildings in London.
5. Henrietta Portland (1690-1765), a renowned philanthropist and patron of the arts in 18th-century England.
While the surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with families bearing the name Portland found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Portland
Among Census respondents with the surname Portland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Portland bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Portland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 5
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Portland
Portland appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-8 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,786 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 7,786 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Portland surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143,149 | #150,935 | -5.4% |
| Count | 116 | 108 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Portland bearers went from 116 to 108 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 7,786 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,935.
FAQ
Portland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Portland?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Portland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Portland?
Portland ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Portland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Portland.
Has Portland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Portland went from 116 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Portland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Portland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Portland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Portland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Hispanic (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Portland (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Portland mean?
A locational surname originating from the port city of Portland, England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Portland (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Portland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.